Phoenix Rising
by Soldier's Strife
Summary: Sometimes when life burns you from the inside out, you have no choice but to rise from the ashes, stronger than before. A story of Reno's life before the Turks. His past, his heartache, and his survival.


A young woman stood on the sidewalk, viewing the arrangement of accessories being sold at a small stand. Her eyes roamed the rows of colorful trinkets and ribbons. Smelling a sale, the owner showed her a simple necklace. "Only ten gil, miss. Best deal in the whole marketplace.", he said proudly as she admired the bauble. She twisted a strand of her long dirty blonde hair thoughtfully. "Well, I don't-" She was cut off as a smooth voice interrupted her. "I think you should get it, yo. It would look absolutely _stunning _on you."

She turned, blushing when she saw who had spoken. A tall, lanky young man with unruly red hair and bright aquamarine eyes grinned at her. Her skin flushed as he picked up the necklace and looped it around her throat, letting the charm rest against her collarbone. He smirked, speaking in her ear. "See? It's perfect for you." She smiled, lowering her eyes shyly. "You think so?" The man smiled, a smile that would be more at home on a fox than a human. "I don't lie, sweetheart."

He discreetly stepped back on one foot, leaving his other half a pace in front of him. As the woman started to walk over to the owner to pay for the trinket, she tripped over his waiting foot. Instantly his hands were on her hips, steadying her. With a smirk and a cheeky wink he looked down at her. "Whoa, honey. We just met." Realizing that she had just fallen into the arms of a strange man, she turned a shade of red that rivaled the stranger's hair. Sputtering out apologies, she regained her footing. He laughed, an intoxicating laugh that made the woman want to smile along with him. He flashed her a grin. "Don't worry about it. Not every day I get to rescue such a pretty lady."

The woman blushed, but smiled a bit. "And who should I be thanking for coming to my rescue?" Again that easy grin slid onto his lips. "The name's Reno. And let me guess. Beauty, right?" That earned another giggle from the woman. "Nyssa, actually." He smiled, then it faded as he sighed almost reluctantly. "Well, I'm sorry to say that I have to go, Nyssa. I'll see you around." She nodded, something like disappointment in her eyes, watching as he walked off down the street, melting into the crowds with ease.

Nyssa turned, walking to the owner of the small booth. She indicated the necklace around her neck as the item she wished to pay for. She didn't want to remove it, preferring to remember the feel of the handsome stranger's fingers carefully fastening the clasp. She was harshly snapped from her daydreams of mischievous blue-green eyes when she reached into her pocket only to encounter a few pieces of lint. Her eyes widened as she gasped, reaching into her other pocket frantically. "My money! It's gone!"

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><p>"So, Reno, anything good today?", the boy of about sixteen sitting at a makeshift table asked . He flicked a piece of his shoulder length blond hair out of his acid green eyes as he looked at the gil, jewelry, cards, keys, and other pocket items spread on the wooden crate that served as a table. The room he sat in was an old abandoned shack in the slums. It was cold in the winter, but it was a good place to hide and the closet thing to a home that its inhabitants had ever had.<p>

Reno shrugged, laying on a messy nest of pillows and blankets he used as a bed with one arm folded behind his head. His other hand held a half empty bottle of booze he had decided to splurge on. "About fifty gil was the max today. I guess people just don't like carrying loose money in the slums anymore." He raised the bottle to his lips, letting the cool poison run down his throat. "How 'bout you?"

The boy laughed. "All I had to do give 'em the 'I'm lost and alone and I don't have a family' look and they practically threw the money at me. It pays to be young in the slums. Must be rough on you. What are you, like thirty now?" He laughed as an old shirt was thrown at him, misguided by Reno's alcohol impaired aim. "I'm eighteen, you jackass.", the redhead snapped. The boy clicked his tongue, like an adult chastising a child. "Eighteen and still relying on petty thievery." He closed his eyes, shaking his head, teasing the redhead.

Reno smirked. "Trust me, I don't plan to stay down here forever." This got the blond boy's attention. His eyes snapped open, focusing on the self assured man. "Whataya mean?" Reno looked at him. "I mean, I plan to leave the slums one day, Seth." Seth frowned, crossing his bony arms over his thin chest. "And where the hell ya gonna go?"

"Anywhere I want."

"You stick your nose out of the slums and those Turks'll getcha. I heard they ain't so kind to thieves."

"Turks have more important things to worry about besides a simple pickpocket. And besides,", he threw a smile at the boy, "I can outrun a stupid Turk."

Seth still looked a little unsure. "Why ya wanna leave? Ya got a pretty nice setup here." Reno sighed, drinking the last of the booze before answering. "'Cause I wanna see what's out there. I'm sick of just lookin' at the same things everyday. I wanna see the sky, Seth."

Seth sighed and brushed all of the loot back into a small bag. He got up, turned the small battery powered lamp off, and went over to the mess of pillows and blankets next to the one Reno lay on. He laid down, his back facing away from the redhead. He shrugged out of the sleeveless, zip up, navy blue vest he wore and kicked off his muddy boots. He curled up under the blanket dressed in dark cargoes and a ragged t-shirt much like the ones his redheaded friend wore. Silence hung between the two of them before Seth turned to face the redhead. "Hey, Reno?" A sleepy "hmm" was all he got in response. He continued , his voice quiet in the darkness. "Didn't anyone ever tell ya that curiosity killed the cat?" The older boy chuckled, reaching over to affectionately tousle the boy's blond hair.

"Good thing I'm not a cat."

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><p><strong>Stay tuned for more chapters. I own nothing except Seth and our poor victim, Nyssa. Please review.<strong>


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